Bangladesh lost the first ODI of the series against New Zealand by 26 runs today (April 17), which is very disappointing for the Tigers. All but two of the 11 players in the XI have not played 20 ODIs, so many are questioning the preparation and quality of the Bangladesh team after the loss to this new and inexperienced team. Bangladesh was in a good position in terms of batting throughout the match, but mistakes towards the end cost them the match.
Batting first, New Zealand scored 247 runs for 8 wickets in the allotted 50 overs. Chasing the run, Bangladesh were all out for 221 runs with 9 balls to spare. This match was particularly noteworthy because, despite the lack of spectators in the Pakistan series due to the month of Ramadan, the attendance at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla Stadium was quite strong for today’s match. Despite the scorching heat, fans started coming to the field since morning, and more people entered the stadium gallery as the day progressed.
This match holds special significance for the country. State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s daughter Zaima Rahman, Army Chief Waqar Uzzaman, BFF Vice President Fahad Karim, and BCB President Tamim Iqbal were present at the stadium. Despite the presence of these supporters, the Bangladesh team still had a chance to win, but the Tigers lost at the last minute.
Bangladesh’s batting started well. Saif Hasan and Tanzid Hasan started well, but could not build a big partnership. Saif Hasan was dismissed for 57 runs, and Liton Das returned for 46 runs. Then there was a fight between Afif Hossain and Towhid Hridoy, but their efforts were ultimately fruitless. Afif Hossain scored 27 runs off 49 balls, and captain Miraz was also dismissed quickly for 6 runs off 14 balls. Then Rishad Hossain and Shoriful Islam were dismissed one by one, as a result of which the result of the match went against Bangladesh.
The big loss for Bangladesh’s batting was the batting incompetence of Afif, Miraz, and Hridoy towards the end. Even after Hridoy scored 55 runs off 60 balls, the Kiwis were unable to win the match due to Blair Tickner’s 4 wickets and Nathan Smith’s 2 wickets.
Meanwhile, the highest run-scorer for New Zealand was Henry Nicholls, who scored 68 runs. Foxcroft scored 59 runs in the middle order, and Will Young scored 30 runs. Nathan Smith also scored 21 runs. After this collection by the Kiwis, when the Bangladesh team went to chase the target, the team started very well, but could not keep the match in hand in the end. Bangladesh needed 67 runs in the last ten overs, with 6 wickets in hand and two sets of batters on the wicket – Afif Hossain and Towhid Hridoy. In this situation, Bangladesh had a very high chance of winning, but in the end, they lost due to their batting incompetence and mental pressure.
This loss has raised concerns about the direct qualification for the World Cup for the Bangladesh team. Because this New Zealand team was very different from their original ODI team, 11 of the 16 cricketers who were in the squad for the last ODI series against India are not in this series. Among them, none other than Henry Nicholls and Tom Latham have experience of playing more than 20 ODI matches. Bangladesh has lost the opportunity to move up in the rankings by losing to such an inexperienced team.
There are some big lessons for Bangladesh in this loss. Bangladesh’s batters need to finish the match without putting pressure on themselves at the last moment. Especially experienced batters like Afif and Hridoy should have finished the game and given the team a victory. All the members of the team should move forward with confidence and learn from their mistakes. If they play more confidently and maturely, then they will be able to get better results in the next match.
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